What characterizes the 'letter name' writing development stage?

The 'letter name' writing development stage is characterized by children's increasing awareness of the letters in words, particularly their first and last letters. At this stage, children start to experiment with writing by using letters that correspond to the sounds they hear in words. They might focus on the initial and final letters, reflecting their understanding of the phonological aspects of language. This focus helps them connect the sounds with their corresponding letters, which is a crucial skill for advancing to more complex writing stages.

This stage typically occurs when children are beginning to understand how letters represent sounds and are starting to build their vocabulary through phonetic acknowledgment. They may not yet be using full sentences or controlled writing and often lack the ability to write entire words accurately, so their writing may still seem sporadic or exploratory. Thus, focusing on beginning and ending letters is a defining characteristic of this stage in their writing development.